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After an incredible game 1, Mike came through yet again, and his walk-off homer in the bottom of the sixth gave Loss Mitigation a two game lead in the best-of-five first round series with the Porkswords

After carrying his team to victory in game 1, Mike put Loss Mitigation on his shoulders again in game 2. His walk-off two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth capped another great performance and gave his team a comfortable lead in the best-of-five first round series with the Porkswords.

Norris took the mound for Loss Mitigation, and he looked good early. After allowing a leadoff double to Adam, he retired Frosty and Josh to strand the runner, ending the inning.

With three innings of eligibility left after game 1, Josh started once again for the Porkswords. He rolled through the bottom of the first, retiring Mike and Nate in order.

A family of three watches the EWL playoff action from the third base line stands.

Bob singled to start the top of the second, but the Porkswords couldn’t get on the board, as Norris retired Adam and Frosty to strand the runner and end the inning.

Loss Mitigation would take a lead in the bottom of the second. Norris tripled to start the inning, but he was caught out in between third and home trying to extend the hit into an inside-the-park homer. Reggie followed with a triple, and Mike drove him in with a two-run blast, making the score 2-0. Josh retired Nate to end the inning, and he had met his innings limit for the week.

Adam of the Porkswords fields a ball off the left field fence while teammate Bob watches from center field

With a two-run lead, Norris rolled through the top of the third, sending Josh and Bob down consecutively.

Norris is pleased with his squad’s performance in game 2.

Loss Mitigation extended their lead in the bottom of the third. Adam entered the game for Josh, and he was hit hard right away. Norris singled, and Reggie drove him in with a two-run homer, making the score 4-0. The next batter, Mike, tripled, but similar to Norris in the previous inning, he was caught out between third and home trying to extend the hit into an inside-the-park homer. Nate followed with a single, but Josh avoided further damage, retiring Norris for the second out of the inning.

The Porkswords cut into the four run deficit in the top of the fourth. Frosty doubled with one out, and Josh drove him in with a two-run homer to right center. Norris retired Bob to end the inning, and the Porkswords had cut the score to 4-2.

Reggie singled to start the bottom of the fourth, and two batters later, Nate hit an RBI triple, pushing the Loss Mitigation lead to 5-2. Josh retired Norris to end the inning, and the Porkswords trailed by three runs.

Norris connects on one of his two hits in the game.

The Porkswords rallied once again in the top of the fifth, tying the game. Adam led off with a triple, and he scored from third on Frosty’s RBI single that cut the score to 5-3. Two batters later, Bob doubled to put runners on second and third, and Adam cleared the bases with an RBI triple, his second three-bagger of the inning. Norris retired Frosty for the second out of the inning, but he had allowed three runs, and the game was tied at 5-5.

Frosty, who made his triumphant return to the wiffle diamond, celebrates after scoring a run in the fourth inning.

Loss Mitigation pulled back ahead in the bottom of the fifth. Reggie tripled for the second time in the game, and Mike drove him in with an RBI double that made the score 6-5. Adam retired Nate and Norris to end the inning, and the Porkswords needed a run in the top of the sixth to extend the game.

Nate, who went 2-for-5 with a single and a triple for Loss Mitigation, poses for the wiffle camera.

Josh led off the final frame with a triple, and Bob came through in the clutch, hitting an RBI single to tie the game at 6-6. Norris retired Adam and Frosty to end the inning, but the Porkswords had evened the game for yet another time.

With a chance to walk-off with a two game lead in the series, Mike and Loss Mitigation did just that, on cue. Reggie singled for his fifth hit of the game, and Mike, who had reached base safely in nine of his first eleven at-bats of the series, came to the plate. He delivered for Loss Mitigation again, crushing a two-run bomb to right-center, ending the game, and giving Loss Mitigation an 8-6 victory.

The win put Loss Mitigation ahead 2-0 in the best-of-five first round series with the Porkswords, one win away from clinching a berth in the 2018 EWL Wiffle Series.

Game Notes:
– Norris pitched the complete game win for Loss Mitigation, allowing six runs on ten hits in six innings.
– Adam took the loss in relief for the Porkswords. He gave up six runs on ten hits in three innings pitched.
– Josh started for the Porkswords and earned a no-decision, giving up two runs on three hits in two innings.
– Mike led Loss Mitigation on offense, going 4-for-6 with a double, a triple, two home runs, two runs scored, and five RBI. He became the first player to hit a walk-off home run in the EWL playoffs since Nate hit two for Eastbound & Dahn in the 2015 playoffs.
– Reggie White was a perfect 5-for-5 in the game, with two singles, two triples, a home run, five runs scored, and two RBI.
– Adam led the Porkswords at the plate, going 3-for-6 with a double, two triples, a run scored, and two RBI.

Erich had a historically dominant performance in game 2, going 8-for-8, hitting for the cycle twice.

After sputtering on offense in a game 1 loss, Shady Characters exploded for nineteen runs in game 2, as Erich hit for the cycle twice in the same game, and the best-of-five first round series was evened at 1-1. Erich was 8-for-8 with two singles, two doubles, two triples, two home runs, six runs scored, and five RBI, becoming the first player in EWL history to hit for the cycle twice in one playoff game. Dylan, Tom W, and Jason each had five hits, and Shady Characters scored nineteen unanswered runs after falling behind 2-0 in the top of the first. Dylan pitched the complete game win, and he also set the EWL single-game playoff record for triples, with four, shattering the previous mark of two.

Cheap Goats got to Dylan early in the top of the first, but after taking an early lead, they wouldn’t score again until late in the game when they trailed by double digits. Jordan led off the game with a triple, and he scored when Joey followed with an RBI triple that made the score 1-0. Christian then singled, scoring Joey, and Cheap Goats led 2-0. Just when it looked like Cheap Goats may jump out to a big lead in both the game and the series, Dylan retired Dinger and Jordan to end the inning, and his offense took over in the bottom half of the inning.

Tom W had five extra-base hits, including three two-run bombs, propelling Shady Characters to the big game 2 victory.

Dinger took the mound for Cheap Goats, and he got into trouble early. Dylan led off the inning with a triple, and Tom W tied the game with a two-run homer, making the score 2-2. Erich followed with a triple, and he scored from third when Jason grounded out for the first out of the inning. Dinger then retired Dylan to end the inning, and Shady Characters led 3-2.

Joey led off the top of the second with a double, but Cheap Goats couldn’t tie the game. Dylan retired Christian and Dinger to strand the runner, maintaining the one-run lead.

Shady Characters would pull ahead to a comfortable lead in the bottom of the second. Tom W doubled, and he scored from second on Erich’s RBI single, making the score 4-2. Jason then doubled, scoring Erich, and Shady Characters led 5-2. Dylan followed with his second triple of the game, scoring Jason, giving Shady Characters a 6-2 lead. Tom W grounded out for the first out of the inning, but Dylan scored on the play, extending the lead to 7-2. Erich followed with a double, but Dinger finally got out of the inning, retiring Jason to strand the runner, and Cheap Goats trailed by four runs.

Dylan rolled through the top of the third, retiring Jordan and Joey in order, and Shady Characters blew the game open in the bottom of the third.

Dylan had a strong game at the plate and also kept Cheap Goats in check on the mound, producing scoreless innings in four of the six innings he pitched.

Dylan led off the inning with his third triple of the game, breaking the single-game playoff record. Tom W followed with his second two-run home run of the game, pushing the lead to 9-2. Erich tripled for the second time in the game, and Jason followed with a two-run shot, making the score 11-2. Dylan tripled yet again, extending his single-game record to four triples, and Tom W hit his third two-run blast of the game, and Shady Characters now led 13-2. Dinger was removed from the game, and Cheap Goats turned to Christian from the bullpen. The first batter he faced, Erich, doubled, and Jason drove him in with an RBI triple. The inning finally ended when Christian retired the next two batters, Dylan and Tom W, but Shady Characters had scored seven runs in the inning, essentially putting Cheap Goats away with a 14-2 lead through three innings.

Christian doubled to start the top of the fourth, but Cheap Goats couldn’t rally, as Dylan retired Dinger and Jordan to strand the runner, ending the inning.

Shady Characters continued to pile it on in the bottom of the fourth. Erich led off the inning with a solo homer, giving him the cycle, and the lead was 15-2. Jason followed with his second triple of the game, and Dylan drove him in with an RBI double that made the score 16-2. Two batters later, Erich hit a one-out single, scoring Dylan from second, and Shady Characters led 17-2. Christian retired Jason for the second out of the inning, and Cheap Goats trailed by fifteen runs.

Dylan connects on one of his EWL single-game playoff record four triples.

Dylan continued to mow down Cheap Goats hitters in the top of the fifth, sending Joey and Christian down in order.

Shady Characters finished their offensive onslaught in the bottom of the fifth. Joey came to the mound, making his first pitching appearance of the 2018 season. He retired the first batter he faced, Dylan, but then Shady Characters would add a few more insurance runs. Tom W doubled, and Erich completed his second cycle in the game, hitting a mammoth two-run shot to right, putting Shady Characters ahead 19-2. Jason followed with a double, but Joey escaped further damage, retiring Dylan to end the inning. Shady Characters had scored two or more runs in every inning, with nineteen unanswered runs, and led by seventeen runs heading into the sixth.

Joey connects on a solo homer in the top of the fifth. He was 3-for-5 with three extra-base hits in the blowout loss.

Cheap Goats showed some life in the top of the sixth, but it was far too little too late. Dinger started the inning with a single, and Jordan followed with a two-run homer than cut the score to 19-4. Joey followed with a solo homer, and the back-to-back jacks made the score 19-5. The rally would end there. Dylan fanned Christian for the first out of the inning, and then retired Dinger to end the inning and the game.

The 19-5 Shady Characters win evened the best-of-five first round series at 1-1.

Game Notes:
– Dylan pitched the complete game win for Shady Characters, allowing five runs on eight hits, striking out one in six innings.
– Dinger took the loss for Cheap Goats, giving up thirteen runs on fourteen hits in 2.5 innings pitched.
– Christian and Joey both pitched out of the bullpen for Cheap Goats. Christian pitched two innings, allowing four runs on six hits. Joey pitched a single inning, giving up two runs on three hits.
– Erich led Shady Characters on offense, becoming the first player in EWL playoff history to hit for the cycle twice in one game. He went a perfect 8-for-8 with two singles, two doubles, two triples, two home runs, six runs scored, and five RBI.
– Dylan went 5-for-9 for Shady Characters, with a double, a record-breaking four triples, five runs scored, and two RBI.
– Tom W went 5-for-8 for Shady Characters, with two doubles, three home runs, five runs scored, and seven RBI.
– Joey led Cheap Goats at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a double, a triple, a home run, two runs scored, and two RBI.